•  5 


on 


the,  Srrencn  ^/iev-olutlon. 


SERMON, 


DELIVERED 


NOVEMBER    20,   1794 


BEING 


THE    DAY    O  F 

ANNUAL    THANKSGIVING, 


BY  SAMUEL  STILLMAN,  D.  D. 

PASTOR  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  IN  BOSTON, 


BOSTON: 

Printed  by  MANNING  tsf  CORING. 


THE  Author  of  the  Sermon  begs  his  friends 
who  folicited  its  publication,  to  excufe  his  delay: 
rndifpofition,  of  .boldy,  and  feveral  other  circum- 
flances  prevented  his  tranfcribing  it  fooner  for  the 
prefs. 


SERMON 


MATTHEW  xxiv.  6,  7,  8. 

And  ycjhall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  : 
fee  that  ye  be  not  troubled :  for  all  thefe  things 
muft  come  to  pafs^  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 

For  nation  Jh all  rife  again/I  nation,  and  kingdom 
again/I  kingdom  :  and  there  fhall  be  famines^ 
and  pejlilences^and  earthquakes  in  divers  places. 

All  thefe  are  the  beginning  of  for  rows. 

AT  may  be  thought  by  fome,  that  this  paflage 
is  inapplicable  to  the  prefent  occafion.  But,  my 
brethren,  we  live  in  an  age  when  it  is  ftrikingly 
exemplified.  To  endeavour  to  trace  effedts  to 
their  caufes,  and  to  account  for  the  folemn  ftate 
of  things  in  the  European  world,  its  influence 
and  iflue,  will  be  no  improper  employment  for 
this  day  ;  becaufe  it  will  naturally  bring  into 
view  abundant  reafons  of  thankfgiving  to  God, 
who  guides  the  affairs  of  empire. 

The 


6:  ; 


cxtiis. found  In  our  blefled  Lord's  con- 
vcriation  with  his  difciples,  who,  ftruck  with 
the  magnificence  of  Solomon's  temple,  invited 
his  attention  to  it :  to  whom  lie  faid,  See  ye  not 
all  thefe  things  ?  Verily  I  fay  unto  you,  There  JJjall 
not  be  left  one  flone  upon  another,  that  Jhall  not  be 
thrown  down.  This  folemn  declaration  of  aii 
event  fo  contrary  to  their  expectations,  excited 
a  defire  in  them  to  be  informed  when  it  mould 
happen.  Tell  us,  fay  they,  when  foall  thefe 
things  be  ?  and  what  JJoall  be  the  Jign  of  thy 
coming,  and  of  the  end  of  the  world  ?  And  Jefus 
anfwered  and  faid  unto  them,  Take  heed  that  no 
man  deceive  you.  For  many  Jhall  come  in  my 
name, fay  ing,  I  am  Chrijl ;  and  fb  all  deceive  many. 
And  ye  Jhall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars  : 
fee  that  ye  be  not  troubled :  for  all  thefe  things 
mnji  come  to  pafs,  but  the  end  is  not  yet.  For  na 
tion  fh  all  rife  agaitifl  nation,  and  kingdom  again  ft 
iingdQra  :  and  there  JJzall  be  famines,  and  pejli- 
Unces,  and  earthquakes  in  divers  places.  All  thefe 
are  the  beginning  of  for  rows. 

The  text  is  a  prediction  of  events,  that  were 
to  befal  the  JewiJJj  nation  in  the  fiift  inftance .; 
and  may  be  divided  into  thefe  two  inquiries  : 

I.  On  what  does  Chrift  found  this  decla 
ration,   Te  Jhall  hear  of  wars  and  humours  of 
wars  ? 

II.  What  does  he  mean  by  this  faying,  See 
e  be  not  troubled? — 

I.    On 


JL 

I.  On  what  does  Chrift  found  this  decla 
ration,  Ye  Jhall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of 
wars  ? 

It  is  founded  on  his  foreknowledge.      In  him 
dwelt  all  the  fulnefs  of  the  Godhead  bodily  :  hence 
he  thought  it  no  robbery  to  bs  equal  'with  God*  *> 
As  fuch,  at  one  glance  he   forefaw  all  thcfe 
events,   that  would  take  place  from  the  be 
ning   to  the  end  of  time.     In  the  conclft  but 
expreflive  language  of  infpiration  it  is  faid,  Hs 
fees  the  end  from  the  beginning. 

Peter  afcribes  omnifcience  to  Chrift  :  LorJ9 
faid  he,  thou  knoweft  all  things  ;  tbou  knowc/l 
that  /  love  thee.  His  heart,  by  this  confefiion, 
lay  open  to  the  Son  of  God.  If  his,  then  the 
heart  of  every  other  man.  To  know  the  heart 
is  a  divine  prerogative. 

Jefus  Chrift,  who  was  in  the  bofom  cf  the 
Father  from  eternity,  and  poflefied  the  fame  na 
ture  with  him,  perfectly  underftood  the  whole 
economy  of  Providence,  confequently  thoie 
events  that  would  befal  the  Jewlflo  people. 

This  prophecy  was   literally   accompiiilicd  : 
for  horrid  wars  preceded  the  deftrudtion  of  the 
city  Jerufalem ;  which  are  mentioned  by  Joie- 
phus.      During  the   fiege  of  the   city  by   the 
Roman  army,    thoufands  were   flain,     Se 
times  did  they  groan  under  the  dreadful  ca: 
ities  of  civil  war.     Thefe,  however,  were  but 
the  beginning  of  forrows,  compared  with  the 
evils    that    have    befallen    them    iincc    t!iek 
difperfion.      In    the    profpect    of    which    our 

blefibd 


bleffed  Lord  thus  laments ;  0  Jerufalem,  Jeru-> 
falem,  thou  that  killejl  the  prophets ,  and  ftonejl 
them  that  are  fent  unto  thee,  hoiv  often  'would  I 
have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as  a 
hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and 
ye  'would  not.  Behold  your  houfe  is  left  unto  you 
defolate. 

This  declaration  was  alfo  founded  on  our 
Lord's  knowledge  of  the  depravity  of  the  human 
heart.  He  knew  what  was  in  man,  and  need 
ed  not  that  any  man  fhould  teach  him.  From 
'within,  faid  he,  out  of  the  heart  of  man,  proceed 
evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications, 
thefts,  falfe  witnefs,  blafphemies.  Matt.  xv.  1 9. 

He  alfo  perfe&ly  knew  how  that  depravity 
would  operate,  or  what  events  would  arife  out 
of  it.  Depravity  in  man  is  the  fruitful  fource 
of  evils  in  the  world.  From  'whence  come  wars 
and  fightings  among  you  ?  fays  James  ;  come  they 
not  hence  even  of  your  lujis,  which  war  in  your 
members  ? 

In  the  front  of  the  degrading  catalogue  I 
place  ambition  as  a  principal  ;  which  involves 
pride  and  a  fpirit  of  revenge.  An  ambitious 
man  is  infatiable  in  his  defires  for  honour  and 
power  ;  and  generally  artful  and  determined  in 
his  attempts  to  acquire  them  ;  and  implacable 
in  his  refentments  in  cafe  of  difappointment. 
Ambition  has  flam  its  ten  thoufands.  In  the 
fmall,  and  in  the  great  world,  it  hath  done  un- 
fpeakable  miichiefs.  Its  influence  is  evident 
on  individuals,  in  families,  in  religion  and  gov 
ernment. 

Individuals 


Individuals  in  general  are  anxious  to  excel ; 
hence  the  competition  we  fee  among  perfons  of 
the  fame,  as  well  as  of  different  profeffions. 
From  this  fource  arifeth  alfo  a  fpirit  of  refent- 
ment  againft  thofe,  who  treat  them  contrary  to 
the  opinion  they  have  of  their  own  merit. 
Hence  come  contentions  and  every  evil  work. 

One  perfon  of  this  reftlefs  temper  in  a  family, 
is  capable  of  deftroying  all  its  happinefs  by  a 
haughty  and  overbearing  conduct  ;  and  a  readi- 
neis  to  refent  every  fuppofed  neglect. 

Ambition  is  too  frequently  apparent  among 
men  who  profefs  a  friendfhip  for  religion  ;  yet 
religion  enforces  the  neceffity  of  the  deepeft  hu 
mility.  Even  the  immediate  difciples  of  Chrift 
difputed  who  ihould  be  the  greateft.  From  this 
fpirit,  fo  contrary  to  the  gofpel,  have  arifen  per- 
fecutions  and  martyrdoms. 

Had  mankind  in  general,  and  Chrifdans  in 
particular,  been  willing  to  allow  to  others  the  lib 
erty  they  take,  of  thinking  for  themfelves,  thefe 
horrid  fcenes  would  not  have  taken  place.  But 
they  have  ftrangely  and  unreafonably  imagined, 
in  many  inftances,that  they  only  have  this  right. 
Hence  the  frequent  attempts  that  have  been 
made  by  the  civil  magiftrate,  in  countries  where 
Chriftianity  is  eftablifhed  by  law,  to  check  by 
force  the  growth  of  opinions  contrary  to  his 
own. 

In  government  it  is  perpetually  at  work, 
having  full  fcope  for  its  baneful  influence.  In 
this  inftance  it  has  often  appeared  as  a  monfter 
with  a  thoufand  heads. 

B  Though 


10 

Though  a  republican  form  of  government, 
in  the  opinion  of  the  preacher,  is  the  beft  cal 
culated  to  promote  the  freedom  and  happinefs 
of  the  people,  there  always  will  be  found  men 
of  boundlefs  ambition,  who  become  heads  of 
parties,  and  fpare  no  pains  to  get  into  place. 
One  circumftance  is  fufficient  to  be  mentioned 
here,  which  all  men  muft  acknowledge,  and 
that  is,  the  competition  there  continually  is,  be 
tween  them  who  are  in,  and  them  who  are  out 
of  office.  They  who  are  in  wiih  to  keep  in, 
and  they  who  are  out  to  get  in  :  hence  the  con^ 
teft  that  often  happens,  and  the  ungenerous  at 
tacks  that  are  frequently  made  on  perfonal  char 
acters,  with  a  deiign  of  injuring  them  in  the 
public  opinion. 

The  beft  of  men  and  meafures  are  often  treat 
ed  wTith  the  greateft  feverity,  in  order  to  pro* 
mote  the  defigns  of  certain  ambitious  men.  But 
while  human  nature  remains  in  its  prefent  ftate 
of  imperfection,  the  great  body  of  the  people 
fhould  acl;  with  caution  :  their  political  falva- 
tion,  under  God,  depends  on  themfelves.  It 
has  often  happened,  that  the  men  who  have 
made  the  higheft  preteniions  to  patriotifm,  have 
been  the  moft  ambitious  in  heart. 

In  a  monarchical  government,  where  the  fu- 
preme  power  is  vefted  in  an  individual  under 
certain  limitations,  this  vice  will  exert  itfelf. 
The  various  expenfive  appendages  of  royalty 
are  food  for  an  ambitious  mind.  The  prince 
feels  his  importance,  and  is  tenacious  of  his  pre 
rogative  ;  and  there  always  will  be  men  enough, 

who 


II 

who  furroimd  his  perfon,  to  flatter  his  pride  and 
to  opprefs  the  people.  The  number  of  thefe 
fycophants  is  eafily  increafed  by  places  and  pen- 
fions  ;  till  finally  the  beft  form  of  government, 
in  its  principles  or  adminiiiration,  becomes 
corrupt. 

The  people  groan  under  the  yoke,  complain 
and  remonurate  without  effeft  ;  for  a  venal 
majority  are  always  ready  to  fupport  the  meal- 
ures  of  the  prince.  At  length  matters  become 
defperate  ;  government  is  oppofed  by  force  of 
arms,  many  lives  are  loft  in  the  conflict,  and  a 
revolution  takes  place.  Hence  the  revolution 
in  England,  headed  by  the  Prince  of  Orange — 
Hence  too  the  revolution  in  America,  with  an 
excellent  band  of  patriots,  and  our  immortal 
WASHINGTON  at  its  head. 

Permit  me  to  declare,  my  brethren,  that  I 
blefs  God  he  ordered  me  into  exiftence  at  a 
period,  which  gave  me  an  opportunity  of  ob- 
ferving  the  origin,  progrefs  and  glorious  ifTue 
of  my  country's  conteft  with  her  oppreflbrs. 
She  is  free,  happy  and  independent.  Let  the 
people  praifc  thee,  0  Lord  \  let  all  the  people 
praife  thee  ! — The  fnare  is  broken^  and  ive  are 
ejcaped. — This  is  the  Lord's  doing^  and  is  mar 
vellous  in  our  eyes. 

To  return.  What  man  can  look  into  the 
prefent  ftate  of  Poland  without  a  mixture  of 
grief  and  indignation,  while  he  beholds  that 
unfortunate  people  deprived  of  their  liberties, 
and  their  country  divided  between  the  Emprefs 
of  Ruffia  and  the  King  of  Pruffia  ?  But  they 

bravely 


12 

bravely  ftruggle  :  and  every  friend  to  the  free 
dom  of  mankind  will  wifh  them  fuccefs. 

If  we  look  into  France,  whofe  prefent  con 
dition  engages  the  attention  of  the  world,  we 
{hall  learn  awful  leifons  of  pride,  ambition  arid 
cruelty. 

To  iriveftigate  the  dealings  of  Providence 
toward  that  great  nation,  may  tend  to  throw 
light  on  their  prefent  ftate,  and  help  us  to  af- 
certain  the  reafons  why  God  contendeth  with 
them. 

The  events  that  have  taken  place  in  France 
are  very  different  in  their  nature.  Some  of 
them  are  pleafmg,  others  painful — Some  we 
approve,  others  we  condemn.  We  highly  ap 
plaud  the  principles  of  the  revolution,  and  the 
noble  oppofition  of  that  nation  to  civil  and  ec- 
clefiaftical  tyranny.  But  we  are  obliged  to  cen- 
fure  and  lament  their  fanguinary  meafures,  their 
numerous  executions,  their  rejection  of  relig 
ion,  and  the  fluctuating  ftate  of  their  politics. 

Senfible  and  difpailionate  men  will  diftin- 
guifh  the  good  from  the  bad,  and  neither  ap 
prove  nor  condemn  in  the  grofs.  Rather  they 
will  make  up  their  judgment  with  that  caution, 
which  arifeth  from  a  consideration  of  the  dif- 
tance  at  which  they  are  from  the  fcene  of  ac-» 
tion,  and  the  mifreprefentations  which  com 
monly  attend  fuch  times  of  confufion,  , 

Perfons  in  every  country,  who  are  oppofed 
to  the  French  revolution,  perpetually  hold  up 
to  view  their  cruelty,  irreligion  and  inftability ; 
and  on  the  account  of  thefe  condemn  the  whole. 

But 


But  this  condud  is  very  unreafonable,  and  cre 
ates  a  fufpicion,  that  they  are  in  heart  unfriendly 
to  the  liberties  of  mankind.  This  is  the  coun 
terpart  of  that  conduct  which  we  Americans 
experienced  during  the  revolution  in  our  own 
country. 

In  France,  "  the  paflions  of  men  have  been 
enraged,"  fays  one,  "  and,  in  the  parcxyfm  of 
refentment,  fear  and  defpair,  the  beil  of  caufes, 
the  caufe  of  liberty,  has  been  ftained  by  the 
commiffion  of  crimes  which  afflict  a  great  ma- 
jority  of  their  own  nation,  and  all  the  genuine 
friends  of  liberty  and  juftice  through  the  world. 
None  can  contemplate  them  but  with  the  ke£n- 
eft  anguifh,  except  thofe  who  are  watching  for 
occasions  to  flander  all  who  refift  oppreflbrs." 

"  There  is  no  nation  exifting  which,  firil  and 
laft,  has  produced  fuch  a  number  of  faithful 
witneffes  againft  papal  corruptions  and  tyran 
nies,  as  France.  No  people  have  fo  long  a  lift 
of  martyrs  and  confefibrs  to  mew,  as  the  Prot- 
eftants  of  that  country  ;  and  there  is  no  royal 
family  in  Europe  which  has  fhed,  in  the  fup- 
port  of  Popery,  half  the  blood  which  the  Capets 
have  fhed.  They  flew  above  a  million  of  Wai- 
denfes  and  AlbigenfesjwhQ  bore  teftimony  againft 
the  corruptions  and  ufurpations  of  Rome. — 
Who  fet  on  foot,  and  headed  the  executioners 
of  the  maflacre  of  Bartholomew,  which  lafted 
feven  days,  and  in  which,  fome  fay,  near  fifty 
thoufand  Proteftants  were  murdered  in  Paris,  and 
twenty  thoufand  more  in  the  provinces  ?  The 
royal  menders  of  France.  A  maflacre  this,  in 

which 


which  neither  age  nor  fex,  nor  even  women 
with  child,  were  ipared  ;  for  the  butchers  had 
received  orders  to  Daughter  all,  even  babes  at 
the  breaft,  if  they  belonged  to  Proteftants.  The 
king  himfelf  flood  at  the  windows  of  his  pal 
ace,  endeavouring  to  Ihoot  thofe  who  fled,  and 
crying  to  their  purfuers,  Kill  'em,  kill  *em.  For 
this  maflacre  public  rejoicings  were  made  at 
Rome,  and  in  other  Catholic  countries.  Un 
numbered  thoufands  of  Proteftants  were  flain 
in  the  civil  wars  of  France,  for  their  attachment 
to  their  principles." 

.  It  is  impoffible,  in  the  time  allowed  for  the 
prefent  fervice,  to  recount  the  horrid  cruelties 
that  were  infii&ed  on  the  Proteftants,  upon  the 
revocation  of  the  edicl;  of  Nantz  by  Louis  XlV.f 
"  He  it  was,"  fays  the  fame  writer,  "  who 
gave  the  death-wound  to  the  civil  liberties  of 
France,  by  taking  from  the  parliaments  all  re 
maining  power,  and  from  France  every  fhadow 
of  freedom.  Their  ancient  conftitution  had 
been  long  impairing.  It  was  undermined  by  the 
crafty  Lewis  XI.  and  had  been  nearly  fwept 
away  by  the  daring  and  fanguinary  coun 
cils  of  Richelieu  under  Lewis  XIII.  The  af- 
fembly  of  the  ftates  had  been  difufed  ever  fince 
the  beginning  of  this  monarch's  reign.  The 
laft  time  of  its  meeting  was  in  the  year  1614. 
But  all  civil  liberty  did  not  then  expire.  Its 
complete  extinction  was  left  for  this  tyrant, 

Lewis 

*  Mr.  Bi CHENG'S  Signs  of  the  Times. 

f  The  reader  may  confult  Mr.  CLAUDE'S  Complaints  of  the 
Proteftants  on  this  fubjelh 


Lewis  XIV.  From  his  days  to  the  time  of  the 
revolution  1789,  the  people  were  ftrangers  to 
both  civil  and  religious  liberty.  The  fame  fyftern 
of  oppreffion  was  purfued,  though  not  always 
to  the  fame  length;  the  fame  tyrannic  laws 
continued  in  force,  and  were  exercifed  whenev 
er  the  king  or  his  courtiers  conceived  it  necef- 
fary  for  the  promotion  of  their  meafures.  The 
late  banifhments  and  imprifonments  of  the 
members  of  the  parliament  of  Paris,  for  refuf- 
ing  to  regifter  thofe  loans  (becaufe  they  thought 
them  oppreffive  to  the  people)  which  the  court 
demanded,  are  in  every  one's  memory ;"  and 
may  be  thought  to  have  haftened  the  downfall 
of  that  unfortunate  prince,  Le<wis  XVI. 

The  Eaftille^  that  engine  of  horrors  and  mif- 
ery,  which  no  language  can  fully  defcribe,  con 
tinued  during  his  reign ;  in  which  numbers  of 
unhappy  victims  to  defpotifm  had  been  con 
fined  for  years,  and  fome  of  them  died  in  their 
chains. 

In  all  thefe  baniihments  and  murders  of  the 
tens  of  thoufands,  who  fell  in  the  caufe  of  civ 
il  and  religious  liberty  in  France,  "  what  Prot- 
eftant  nation  ever  did  any  thing  worth  calling 
an  exertion  in  their  favour  ?  Not  one  !  When 
an  opportunity  offered  for  doing  fomething  for 
them,  at  the  peace  of  Ryfwick  in  1697,  an^ 
again  in  1714,  at  which  time  four  hundred 
were  ftill  groaning  on  board  the  gallies,  or  per- 
ifhing  in  dungeons,  there  was  not  one  ftipula- 
tion  in  their  favour !  But  the  fall  of  this  tyran 
ny  which  inflided  thefe  enormities,  produces  a 

fhock 


fliock  which  is  felt  from  one  end  of  the  earth  to 
the  other."  And  European  princes,  in  dreadful 
combination,  fly  to  arms  to  reftore  the  French 
monarchy,  or  punifh  the  nation  ;  and  by  in 
terfering  with  their  internal  affairs,  with  which 
they  had  no  right  to  meddle,  have  become  ac- 
ceffary  to  many  of  the  horrors  that  attend  the 
revolution* 

Whofe  heart  does  not  bleed  this  day  at  the 
recollection  of  the  miferies,  which  the  Protef- 
tants  and  people  of  France  have  fuffered,  for 
many  centuries,  under  defpotic  and  cruel  princes^ 
nobles  and  priefts  ! 

But,  my  hearers,  there  is  a  God  who  judg- 
eth  in  the  earth.  Though  he  bear  long  with 
fuch  awful  crimes,  he  will  not  bear  always. 
He  is  now  making  inquifition  for  blood.  The 
following  words  of  John  the  divine  are  appli 
cable  in  this  cafe  ;  Thou  art  righteous^  0  Lord — 
they  have  Jhed  the  blood  of  faints  and  prophet s+ 
and  thou  hajl  given  them  blood  to  drink,  for 
they  are  'worthy.  Rev*  xvi.  5,  6.  Amidft  the 
diftrefifes  of  the  fcene,  let  us  not  however  for 
get  the  providence  of  God.  Not  a  fparrow  falls 
to  the  ground  without  his  knowledge. 

For  many  ages,  Proteftants  have  been  pray 
ing  for  the  downfall  of  Popery.  JEHOVAH  is 
now  accompliihing  that  great  event,  but  with 
circumftances  that  wound  our  feelings.  Yet 
his  language  to  us  is,  Be  Jlill  and  know  that  I 
am  God — /  'will  be  exalted  among  the  heathen  : 
I  will  be  exalted  in  the  earth.  He  is  doing 
terrible  things  in  righteoufnefs. 

The 


The  kingdom  of  France  hath  been  for  many 
centuries,  a  very  important  pillar  of  Popery. 
And  her  kings,  nobles  and  priefts  have  been 
impioufly  combined  againft  the  civil  and  relig 
ious  liberties  of  the  people.  But  their  judgment 
hath  come  upon  them  as  in  one  day.  On  them 
have  the  calamities  of  the  times  fallen  with  pe 
culiar  weight,  even  to  their  utter  extirpation. 

In  Rev.  xi.  13.  we  read,  And  the  fame  hour 
there  was  a  great  earthquake  ;  meaning  great 
changes  and  convulfions  among  the  people— 
and  the  tenth  part  of  the  city  fell.  That  is,  I  fup- 
pofe,  a  great  proportion  of  the  power  and  fup- 
port  of  the  Papacy  was  loft  by  her.  And  in  the 
earthquake  werejlam  of  men  f even  thoufand.  In 
the  original  it  is,  feven  thoufand  names  of  men  ; 
meaning  all  their  dignified  titles  and  orders  of 
nobility.  This  has  been  literally  accomplifhed 
in  the  revolution  in  France^  by  the  demolition 
of  titles  and  privileged  orders.  CITIZEN  is 
their  univerfal  appellation,  and  LIBERTY  and 
EQUALITY  their  national  motto.  They  do 
not  mean  an  equality  of  property,  abilities  or 
influence,  but  of  rights  :  It  is  a  political  equal 
ity  ;  and  is  well  exprefled  in  the  bill  of  rights 
of  this  Commonwealth — "  ALL  MEN  ARE 

JSORN    FREE    AND    EQJJAL." 

Remarkable  are  the  words  of  Peter  Jurleu^  a 
French  Proteflant  minifter,  written  by  him  above 
an  hundred  years  ago.  He  fays,  "  The  tenth 
part  of  the  city  which  here  fell,  will  at  fome  fu 
ture  time  appear  to  be  the  kingdom  of  France, 
where  a  revolution  wili  take  place  about  the 
C  yeas 


year  1 7 #5*  and  a  reparation  from  the  Papacy* 
follow  ;  when  the  names  of  monks  and  nuns, 
of  Carmelites,  Auguftines,  Dominicans,  &c. 
fhall  perifh  forever  ;  and  all  thefe  vain  titles, 
and  armorial  bearings,  which  ferve  for  orna 
ment  and  pride,  fhall  vanifh  ;  and  brotherly 
love  make  all  men  equal.  Not  that  there  mall 
be  no  diftm&ions,  for  it  is  not  a  kingdom  of 
anarchy,  but  government  fhall  be  without  pride 
and  infolence,  without  tyranny  and  violence, 
and  fubjeclts  fhall  obey  their  governors  with  an 
humble  fpirit.  .And  all  this  cannot  be  brought 
about  without  confuiion  and  tumult.  The  pop- 
ifh  empire  cannot  fall  but  it  mult  caufe  blood 
and  a  mighty  noife." 

The  following  extracts  from  Dr.  Goodwin *s 
expofition  of  the  Revelation,  who  wrote  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  merit  your  atten 
tion — "  The  faints  and  churches  of  France, 
God  has  made  a  wonder  to  me  in  all  his  pro 
ceedings  towards  them,  firft  and  laft  ;  and  there 
would  feein  fome  great  and  fpecial  honour  re- 
ferved  for  them  yet  at  the  laft  ;  for  it  is  certain 
that  the  firfc  light  of  the  gofpel,  by  that  firft 
and  fecond  angel's  preaching  in  chap.  xiv. 
(which  laid  the  foundation  of  antichrift's  ruin) 
was  out  from  among  them,  and  they  bore  and 
underwent  the  great  heat  of  perfecution,  which 
was  as  great,  if  not  greater  than  any  fince — And 
fo  as  that  kingdom  had  the  firft  great  ftroke, 
fo  no;vv  it  fhould  have  the  honour  of  having  the 
laft  great  ftroke  in  the  ruin  of  Rome."* 

In 

*  Part  I.  Chap.  vii.  Sect.  6. 


'9 

In  his  jth  feet,  on  Rev.  xi.  he  fays,  "  By 
the  earthquake  here  is  meant  a  great  concuffion 
or  leaking  of  ftates,  politic  or  ecclefiaftical. 
The  efFeft  of  this  earthquake  and  the  fall  of 
-this  tenth  part  of  the  city,  is  killing  feven  thou- 
fand  najnes  of  men.  '  Now  by  men  of  name  in 
fcripture  are  meant  men  of  title,  office  and  dig 
nity.  As  in  Corah's  confpiracy,  fo  here,  a  civil 
punifhment  falls  upon  thefe.  For  having  kill 
ed  the  witnefies,  themfelves  are  to  be  killed 
(haply)  by  being  bereft  of  their  names  and  ti 
tles,  which  are  to  be  rooted  out  forever,  and 
condemned  to  perpetual  forgetful nefs." 

Whether  this  prophecy  in  Rev.  xi.  13.  was 
defigned  by  the  Holy  Ghoft  to  fet  forth  the 
prefent  events  in  France  or  not,  it  appears  from 
what  precedes,  to  be  capable  of  a  very  eafy 
accommodation  to  them. 

Several  circumftances  in  the  French  revolu 
tion  are  really  aftonifhing.  That  twenty-five 
millions  of  people,  devout  admirers  of  kings, 
and  dupes  to  a  crafty  and  avaricious  priefthood, 
fhould  fuddcnly  reject  both,  was  not  to  be  ex 
pected  according  to  the  common  courfe  of 
things.  That  they  mould  be  able  to  maintain 
their  ground  againft  all  their  internal  enemies, 
and  a  moft  formidable  combination  of  the  Eu 
ropean  powers,  is  furprifing  ;  and  much  more 
fo  that  they  fhould  be  victorious  in  almoft  eve 
ry  quarter.  I  pray  God  that  they  may  know 
when  and  where  to  flop.  That  they  mould  have 
pafied  at  once  from  the  great  eft  religious  fuper- 
iHtion,  to  a  rejection  of  all  religion,  is  a  very 

ftrange 


20 

ftrange  and  ferious  event.  How  far  this  is  the 
cafe  of  the  great  body  of  the  people  of  France, 
we  cannot  determine,  not  having  the  neceflary 
information.  We  rejoice  however  to  find,  ac 
cording  to  the  lateft  intelligence,  that  their  lead 
ing  men  are  returning  to  the  principles  of  juftice 
and  moderation,  and  a  profeffed  belief  of  natu 
ral  religion.  Every  good  man  will  moft  earn- 
eftly  pray,  that  they  may  foon  embrace  the 
whole  gofpel  of  Chrift. 

Their  new  calendar  has  a  natural  tendency  to 
abolilh  the  Lord's  day  ;  a  moft  important  infti- 
tution  of  Chriftianity*  Yet  I  humbly  conceive 
that  this  ftrange  circumftance,  however  dark 
it  may  appear  to  us,  will  be  overruled  for  good. 
Is  it  not  reafonable  to  fuppofe,  that  it  will  tend 
to  obliterate  from  the  minds  of  the  people,  ef- 
pecially  children  and  youth,  every  idea  of  faints 
days,  feafts  and  fafts,  &c.  which  make  a  great 
part  of  the  fuperftition  of  the  Romiih  church  ? 
Succeeding  generations  will  be  without  any 
knowledge  of  thefe  follies  of  their  anceftors, 
unlefs  their  ancient  calendar  mould  be  preferr 
ed.  If  ib,  it  will  help  on  the  downfall  of  anti- 
chrift. 

If  it  mould  be  faid,  that  with  the  deftru&ion 
of  the  Romifh  fuperftition,  the  people  will  be  in 
danger  of  lofmg  the  Lord's  day,  and  its  religious 
inftitutions,  I  anfwer — The  Bible,  the  fource  of 
a  Chriftian's  knowledge,  is  carefully  preferred  in 
France  ;  and  religious  worfhip  kept  up  on  that 
facred  day  as  ufual,  by  a  number  of  churches 
of  different  denominations  of  Chriftians.  By 

whom 


21 

whom  Christianity  and  its  important  inftitu- 
tions  will,  no  doubt,  be  preferved.  This  was 
the  cafe  in  their  hotteft  days  of  perfecution, 
though  in  a  private  manner,  and  will  doubtlefe 
be  the  cafe  now,  feeing  every  man  has  full  lib 
erty  to  worfhip  God  according  to  the  dictates 
of  his  confcience.* 

: 

II.  Let  us  now  inquire,  what  our  Lord  means 
by  this  faying,  See  that  ye  be  not  troubled :  for 
all  tbefe  things  muji  come  to  pafs,  but  the  e?id  is 
not  yet.  For  nation  Jhall  rife  again/1  nation ,  and 
kingdom  againft  kingdom  :  and  there JJoall  befam- 
ines^  and  peJUlences^  and  earthquakes  in  divers 
places.  All  thefe  are  the  beginning  offorroivs. 

Moft  certainly  he  who  hath  taught  us,  both 
by  precept  and  example,  to  pity  the  diftrefled, 
and  to  lefifen  as  much  as  poffible  the  miferics  of 
mankind,  could  not  mean  to  teach  his  difciples 
to  be  unaffected  with  the  calamities,  that,  in  a 
fhort  time,  were  to  overwhelm  the  Jewi/lj  na 
tion  ;  nor  us  to  be  unconcerned  at  the  diftrefles 
of  our  fellow-men. 

Shall  we  hear  of  the  horrors  of  war — of  gar 
ments  rolled  in  blood — -of  countries  depopulat 
ed  and  laid  wafte — of  the  thoufands  who  have 
been  flaughtered  during  the  prefent  conteft  in 
Europe — of  the  miferies  that  accompany  fam 
ines,  peftilences  and  earthquakes— and  not  be 
troubled  ?  It  cannot  be. 

Perhaps 

*  That  there  are  fuch  churches  in  France,  which,  amidil  all  the 
confufion  of  the  times,  maintain  their  principles  and  worfhip  as 
ttfual,  I  have  authentic  information. 


Perhaps  the  meaning  of  Chrift  is,  Be  not  dif* 
couraged,  or  through  fear,  hindered  from  the 
faithful  difcharge  of  your  duty,  in  preaching 
the  gofpel.  Or,  Be  not  troubled  as  though 
thefe  dark  and  calamitous  events  were  undi- 
reded.  The  government,  as  if  he  had  faid,  is 
on  my  moulders ;  I  do  my  pleafure  in  the  ar 
mies  of  heaven,  and  among  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth.  jTbe/e  things  mujl  come  to  /tf/J,  as 
puniiliments  of  nations  for  national  crimes. 
,  But  the  end  is  not  yet — that  is,  the  end  of 
Jewlft)  fufferings.  For  greater  calamities  did 
come  upon  that  people  for  their  unbelief,  and 
rejection  of  the  Meifiah ;  calamities  which  bid 
defiance  to  defcription. 

But  the  text  is  not  to  be  confined  to  them  ; 
It  has  refpedl  to  the  world  in  general,  and  em 
phatically  defcribes  its  prefent  ftate. 
' 

~ 

I  pafs  now  to  the  conclulion  of  the  difcourfe. 

We  live,  my  brethren,  in  an  interefting  pe 
riod  of  time.  God  is  doing  wonders  among 
the  nations  of  the  earth.  He  rolls  on,  in  quick 
iucceffion,  events  that  juftly  aftonifh  us. 

What  the  iffue  of  thefe  things  will  be,  is 
the  anxious  inquiry  of  many  worthy  perfons  ; 
concerning  which  give  me  leave  to  hazard  a 
probable  conjecture. 

The  prefent  war  in  Europe  is  a  war  of  kings 
againil  the  people,  of  power  againft  opinion. 
Power  mufl  be  lupported  by  fleets  and  armies  ; 
thefe  ccft  imrnenfe  furns  cf  money.  Should 

the 


-li 
the  war  continue  long,  all  the  refources  of  the 
nations  engaged  in  it  will  be  exhaufted,  and 
neceffity  force  them  to  terms  of  accommoda 
tion.  But  opinion  is .  eafily  propagated,  and 
can  never  be  conquered  by  power.  It  has  al 
ready  patted  from  America  to  France,  and  per 
vaded  the  millions  of  its  inhabitants  ;  who  havd 
rifen  in  a  mafs  to  oppofe  thofe  powers,  thaf 
are  at  war  againft  their  opinion  of  the  rights 
of  men.  In  Poland  it  prevails,  and  is,  beyond 
doubt,  fecretly  fpreading  among  different  and 
diftant  nations.  If  fo,  the  probability  is,  that 
the  great  majority  of  the  people,  at  a  favoura 
ble  moment,  will  join  ia  the  general  caufe 
againft  oppreffcrs,  and  not  only  France,  but  all 
mankind  fihally  be  free. 

Should  this  be  the  cafe,  religious  liberty  will 
not  be  forgotten.  We  fee  in  France,  even  in 
their  prefent  condition,  that  every  man  is  at 
liberty  to  worfhip  God  according  to  his  con- 
fcience.  Hence  we  conclude,  or  are  willing  to 
believe,  that  when  mankind  ceafe  to  be  agitated 
by  wars  and  oppreffion,  they  will  be  convinced 
that  they  cannot  live  and  be  happy  without 
i-eligion.  Hence  will  arife  a  fpirit  of  inquiry, 
and  at  leaft  a  readinefs  to  encourage  it  as  good 
for  the  ftate.  At  the  fame  time  good  men, 
who  love  the  caufe  of  Chrift,  will  ufe  all  their 
influence  to  check,  by  example  and  inftru&ion, 
the  progrefs  of  vice  and  infidelity,  and  to  con 
vert  mankind  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jefus. — 
But  moft  of  all  do  we  expedl  this  glorious 
event,  from  the  full  perfuaiion  that  the  caufe  is 

GbfiJT*  j 


.  H 

Cbrijfs  y  and  that  he  will  accompany  the  dif- 
penfation  of  the  gofpel  with  his  fpecial  influ 
ence,  as  he  did  in  the  firft  ages  of  Chriftianity  ; 
when  the  difficulties  it  had  to  encounter,  were 
greater  than1  they  will  probably  be  at  any  future 
period. 

Human  nature  is  univerfally  the  fame  ;  men 
have  confciences.  And  when  religious  truths 
are  propofed  to  their  consideration,  faid  to  be 
calculated  to  make  them  happy  here,  and  here 
after,  is  it  not  probable  they  will  liften  to  them, 
and  numbers  of  them  be  turned  from  darknefs  to 
light  ?  Man  is  a  rational  and  inquisitive  being  ; 
he  wiflies  to  be  happy,  but  is  taught  by  expe 
rience  and  fads,  that  this  is  not  his  reft.  He 
knows  he  muft  die,  and  cannot  help  being  con 
cerned  about  his  future  well-being.  The  gof 
pel  then  is  excellently  adapted  to  his  condition 
as  a  (inner,  and  a  dying  man,  becaufe  it  brings 
life  and  immortality  to  light.  This  then  is  no 
conjedure,  but  a  certain  truth  founded  on  the 
teftimony  of  God,  That  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord  lhall  ultimately  cover  the  earth  as  the  wa 
ters  do  the  fea.  Even  fo,  Lord  Jefus,  come 
quickly. 

Let  us  give  glory  to  God,  my  brethren,  that 
we  enjoy  this  gofpel,  and  its  various  import 
ant  inftitutions  ;  and  ftudy  to  improve  them  in 
a  proper  manner. 

Let  us  blefs  the  Lord  this  day  for  our  happy 
condition  as  a  people.  While  wars  diftracl; 
and  depopulate  Europe,  and  the  wrath  of  man 
ipreads  defoliations  far  and  wide,  we  have  peace. 

At 


At  the  fame  time  we  fmcercly  lament  thofe  cu> 
cumftances  that  damp  the  joy  of  the  day. 
The  Indian  war  creates  extreme  diflrefles  to 
the  inhabitants  of  our  frontiers.  Even  here 
the  profpeft  brightens,  in  the  late  fucceis  of  our 
arms.  It  is  the  wifh  of  every  benevolent  man, 
that  this  vi&ory  may  iflue  in  peace  with  thefe 
fons  of  the  wildernefs  ;  and  that  they  and  we 
may  hereafter  dwell  together  as  brethren,  en 
terms  of  reciprocal  advantage. 

The  weftern  infurrefiion  gives  us  pain. 
How  aftonifhing  it  is,  that  men  fliould  be  fo 
loft  to  all  regard  to  themfelves,  to  the  govern 
ment  that  protects  them,  and  to  the  order  and 
happinefs  of  fociety,  as  to  oppofe,  by  an  ap 
peal  to  arms,  a  law  which  has  been  fanclioned 
by  the  majority  of  the  people,  or  their  repre- 
fentatives  in  Congrefs.  This  painful  event 
hath,  however,  tended  to  djfplay  the  energy  of 
government  and  the  excellency  of  our  execu 
tive,  in  the  methods  that  have  been  taken  firft 
to  conciliate  y  and  in  cafe  of  failure,  tofubduc 
the  infurgents  :  alfo  the  determined  fpirit  of 
our  fellow-citizens  to  fupport  the  laws  of  the 
Union. 

Let  us  unite  in  giving  glory  to  God  for  our 
Federal  Government,  which  hath  already  raif-r 
ed  the  United  States  to  wealth  and  eminence. 
The  experiment  hath  realized  the  expectations 
of  its  warmeft  friends,  and  is  calculated  to  fi- 
lence  gainfayers.  Our  profperity  as  a  people 
cannot  be  denied,  notwithstanding  the  depre 
dations  that  have  been  committed  on  our  com- 
D  mercc 


26 

merce  by  the  powers  at  war,  efpecially  by  the 
rapacity  of  Great-Britain. 

We  will  blefs  the  Lord  that  our  land  hath 
yielded  her  increafe,  and  the  people  have  en 
joyed  a  remarkable  {hare  of  health  through  the' 
year  ;  while  fatal  illnefs  has  fwept  off*  great 
numbers  of  our  fellow-citizens  in  other  parts  of 
the  Union,  which  we  fincerely  lament.  But 
fo  inany  are  the  bleffings  conferred  upon  us  by 
a  kind  Providence,  that  if  we  would  attempt  to 
fpeak  of  them,  they  are  more  than  can  be  num 
bered. 

In  fine. — Let  love  and  friendfhip  abound 
amidft  our  different  political  opinions.  We 
ihould  ftudioufly  guard  againft  mifreprefenting 
one  another ;  which  is  too  often  done  by  men 
of  warm  paffions.  It  ought  not  to  be  faid, 
That  the  friends  of  the  French  revolution  ap 
prove  of  all  the  circumftances  attending  it. 
They  love  the  caufe  of  liberty,  and  wifh  its 
univerfal  triumph^  but  lament  every  event  that 
checks  its  progrefs  and  injures  its  reputation. 

On  the  other  hand,  let  not  the  warm  friends 
of  the  French  nation,  accufe  their  fellow-citizens 
of  being  enemies  to  liberty  in  general,  who,  in 
the  warmth  of  their  zeal  for  humane  and  mod 
erate  meafures,  have  faid  fome  very  fevere  and 
improper  things  againft  that  people.  If  the 
citizens,  thus  oppofed  to  each  other,  were  to 
think  coolly  upon  the  iubjecl:,  I  flatter  myfelf, 
they  would  unite  in  approving  the  principles  of 
the  French  revolution,  and  in  condemning  ev- 
®ry  abufe  of  them, 

Our 


Our  beloved  Prefident  does  not  hefitate  to 
call  the  French  republic,  "  The  great  and  good 
friend  and  ally  of  the  United  States."  "  It 
was  fome  time  (fays  he)  before  a  character 
could  be  obtained,  worthy  of  the  high  office  of 
cxprefling  the  attachment  of  the  United  States  to 
the  happinefs  of  our  allies,  and  drawing  clofer 
the  bands  of  our  friend/Joip. — I  befeech  you 
therefore,  to  give  full  credence  to  whatever  he 
{hall  fay  to  you  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States,  and  moft  of  all,  when  he  fhall  afliire 

you,    THAT    YOUR    PROSPERITY    IS    AN    OB 
JECT    OF    OUR    AFFECTION.* 

I  am  confident,  my  brethren,  you  heartily 
approve  of  thefe  expreffions  of  attachment  to 
that  nation,  who  fought  by  your  fide,  and  at- 
filled  you  in  fecuring  your  freedom  and  in 
dependence  ;  and  who  are  at  this  moment  en 
gaged  in  a  moft  important  conteft,  in  the  iflue 
of  which  all  mankind  are  interefted.  May 
Almighty  God  make  them  glad  according  to 
the  days  wherein  he  hath  afflicted  them,  and 
the  years  wherein  they  have  feen  evil ;  and 
caufe  thefe  great  events  among  the  nations,  to 
terminate  in  the  univerfal  eftablifhment  of  the 
rights  of  man,  and  the  peaceful  kingdom  of 
Jefus  Chrift.  And  let  all  the  people  fay, 
AMEN. 

''  The  Prefident's  letter  of  credit  for  Mr.  MUNK.OE,  &c, 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORRC 


LOAN  •*' 


This 


•5 
S7 


o  o  o  b  U 


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